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Koth
Koth is a recurring NPC in The Darkshard Chronicles and a member of the Moonwhisper Adventuring Party. Background For thousands of years, the Palehide Orcs of the Nashfang Range served many orcish tribes as diplomats and negotiators. They were both highly revered and harshly reviled, as it was believed that their unique bloodline granted them certain, "un-orclike" qualities such as increased patience, a heightened intellect and an inherent grasp of language. These "natural gifts" were said to come at the expense of the strength, endurance and warrior sensibilities that were often regarded in much higher favor amongst orckind. In reality, all of this was largely untrue; merely the hearsay of many orc leaders throughout history and a stereotype perpetuated by a reductive culture. Koth was born third of a litter of three palehide orclings. Not unusually, Koth and his brothers knew little of their biological parents as they were promptly whisked away to the villages communal nursery and raised in the traditional orcish manner: by the entire tribe. While his brother Drek, and to a lesser extent, his other brother Haras, showed the deliberately bred traits of the palehide line from an early age, save for one: a certain gentleness and gravitation towards pacifism rarely found in his kind, even amongst palehides. As a young orc, Koth to little interest in the rituals of the the hunt or the worship of the war-gods. He preferred simple conversation with Drek and enjoyed the company of animals, often naming them and regarding them as friends. Koth would even attempt to form bonds of kinship with the local goblins that would periodically pester the village, offering them fruit and challenging them to wrestling matches. While Drek quickly matured into the cunning, impish palehide diplomat he was expected to be, Koth progressed in quite another direction. He grew tall and strong, broad-shouldered and solid, physical traits considered quite unbecoming of a soft-hearted palehide. As anomalous as he was, Koth was not unpopular amongst his people. His pleasant disposition and helpful attitude made him difficult to dislike, even amongst his rigidly preconceptive kind. Campaign History Relationships The Moonwhisper Adventuring Party and other PCs: [[Saryn Galanodel|'Saryn Galanodel']]' -' Koth's relationship with Saryn has been one of mutual admiration and respect from the beginning, as well as rather obvious physical attraction shared by both sides. Koth and Saryn have always synchronized well, both on and off the battlefield, Koth often forming an emotional grounding for Saryn in tumultuous times and vice-versa. It was Saryn who finally succeeded in momentarily breaking through to Koth while he was lost to the rage of the Berserker Collar and it was her influence in his subconscious that helped to save his mind while suffering the collar's psychic after effects. Koth and Saryn eventually began their romantic relationship in earnest with a kiss the morning of second round of the Tournament of Brass. [[Eliphas Hiss'san|'Eliphas Hiss'san']]' -' Koth's relationship with Eli is somewhat brotherly, with Eli usually imparting advice or encouragement to his younger, less worldly companion. Koth was among the first to openly forgive Eli after the revelation of his betrayal at the gala in Kingsgrove, and is one of the few that regularly gives Eli the benefit of the doubt when he grandstands or makes a bold claim. Koth has accidentally referred to Eli as "Drek" once. [[Josen Sycorax|'Josen Sycorax']]' -' Koth's relationship with Josen has always been friendly, with the necromancer usually acting as the other half of Koth's "conscience," opposite Eli in times of uncertainty. While Josen has generously shared an abundance of gifts with the party including one of Koth's lightening javelins, Koth has managed to repay the kindness by offering Josen residence in his folding boat, the Star Seeker. [[Zandr Fienversen|'Zandr Fienversen']]' -' True to form, Koth was quick to accept Zandr into the fold. The pair swiftly bonded over a mutual love of drink, fried foods and a healthy taste for mischief. Koth and Zandr often form a trinity rounded out by Wellaby Wells, who can usually be found exploring new and exciting ways to get drunk and generally have a good time. The only limit to Koth's kinship with Zandr appears to be in the event that the wood elf should ever break Wellaby's heart, as the orc sternly warned him so the night he discovered his two friends were romantically involved. Despite this, Koth seems to regard his favorite drinking partners as good for eachother and is happy to spend time with them together or separately. Biological Family: 'Drek -' Drek was Koth's closest confidant, best friend and favorite person in the world. A simpler orc than his brother, Koth had an infinite supply of questions for the more scholarly Drek, who despite their age difference of mere hours, took on a pronounced "older brother" role in their dynamic. Koth regarded Drek as a genius and was more than eager to lend his considerably more abundant strength to Drek's wily, often mischievous schemes. When Drek left the Nashfang village to travel abroad as his people's youngest ever executive diplomat, Koth quickly lost interest in remaining home. Less than a year later, Koth departed as well, journeying across the Ocean of Light and eventually settling in Blanchwood. Koth didn't see Drek again until his brother's death a few years later, at the hands of the orcish Chieflord Karcass, the new leader of Koth's old tribe. The trauma of this loss, combined with the effects of the Berserker Collar which Karkas had forced upon him, drove Koth into a deadly, mindless rampage, nearly costing the lives of his new friends Saryn, Eli and Josen as well. Even when the Berserker Collar was removed and Koth was returned to sentience, it would take Saryn and Eli magicly delving into his subconscious and a full year of meditation and therapy at the Quivering Branch Monastery to ease the pain that plagued his heart. Koth still references Drek often in conversation, commonly chiming in with how his brother would feel about the given topic at hand or providing an anecdote about a scheme he may have concocted. 'Haras -' Koth wasn't nearly as close to his middle brother Haras. While their relationship wasn't outright hostile, Koth was often irritated by Haras' consistent barbs at his expense. Haras was one of many who believed that Koth somehow managed to be unbecoming in both his roles as a palehide and as an orc in general, and rarely passed up an opportunity to remind him of such, When Koth found Haras' body, his thoughts almost immediately moved on to the wellbeing of his other brother, Drek. Others: 'Tavish Degroot -' As the spiritual center of the town of Blanchwood, and the man that first took him in, Tavish is the most paternal figure Koth has ever known. When Koth arrived in Blanchwood without a coin to his name, it was Tavish who offered him bread and roof to sleep under. When a roaming ettin threatened Tavish's establishment, the Tipsy Draconequus, Koth found his opportunity to return the favor, throwing himself before the to-headed giant and managing to fell it after a tremendous battle. From that moment on, Tavish lead Blanchwood in embracing Koth as one of their own, a hero and friend to all who called the odd little village home. Koth respects Tavish more than anyone else in his life and will often turn to him for worldly advice or simply an ear to listen. Tavish hasn't charged Koth for a room or drink in years and has long fostered the notion that Koth should crusade for the Steelheart Medosi Adventuring Guild, just as he did as a younger man. Skills, Abilities and Magical Items Koth is an exceptional combatant and possess a remarkable amount of strength and endurance, allowing him to perform extraordinary physical feats. 'Martial Proficiency -' Koth is a highly skilled combatant even by orcish warrior standards. He is proficient with most conventional melee weapons, but will often favor larger, two-handed weapons such as greatswords, mauls and greataxes. 'Barbarian Rage -' Koth posses the ability to enter an enraged state, greatly increasing his effective strength and endurance. Initially, Koth could only enter this state involuntarily and often required a few moments to calm down afterwards. Under the effect of the Berserker Collar, Koth's rage exploded to an uncontrollable level, and while his strength and durability reached incredible levels, he lost his ability to reason and differentiate friend from foe. In this state, Koth was so nearly unstoppable that it took the combined efforts of Saryn, Eli and Josen to stop him. After training for a year at the Quivering Branch monastery, Koth learned to channel his animal totem, the Spirit Bear. Since learning to channel the Spirit Bear, Koth's rage became more akin to a combat focus, allowing Koth to remain collected and rational while still receiving the benefits the rage granted. 'Belt of Giant Strength -' Koth was gifted a Belt of Hill Giant Strength by Saryn and Wellaby Wells shortly before the group that would become the Moonwhisper Adventuring Party climbed the Blanchwood Darkshard Spire. This Belt was later upgraded to a Belt of Fire Giant Strength by King Surt VI of Scaldus after his defeat at Koth's hands during the first round of the Tournament of Brass. 'Shorecrash - '''Koth's favorite weapon is the enchanted maul, Shorecrash. A dark, steely hammer with a subtle blueish tint, the surface of the weapon's head bears a wave-like pattern and is notably covered in oxidization and barnacles. Upon a particularly solid hit, Shorecrash will emit a burst of thunder and lightening as well as eject several gallons of sea water. '''Underfoot Ring -' Koth obtained the Underfoot Ring after Eli helped him slay Toecutter Rem, a halfling assassin. The ring grants Koth additional agility when evading attacks from enemies larger than he is, something greatly useful when battling giants, his favored enemy. The Underfoot Ring has been a crucial factor in Koth's victories against several opponents including King Surt VI of Scaldus and the Grog the Goliath. 'Lightning Javelins -' Koth currently possess two Lightning Javelin, one gifted to him by Saryn (itself a gift to her from Dalen Auriel) and the other by Josen. They are his primary means of ranged combat and have proven effective, though limited by their quantity. Koth will often simple forget to use them, given his preference to melee combat. Trivia ~Koth has tendancy to name things of his, either in common or orcish. He rides a workhorse named "Huboloch," which translates from orcish to "animal not intended to be eaten." Koth weilded a greasword called "Vok-Dojyan" which translates into "hand collector" while his current weapon, the maul "Shorecrash" came with it's name. It was also Koth who insisted on giving a name to the party's folding boat. ~Koth's favorite food is a smoked boar sandwich with tomatoes and mayonaise. His favorite drink is a mixture of dark beer and thickly brewed coffee. ~Koth has survived taking the most damage from a single attack of the campaign so far, having taken 78 points of acid damage from Betrynn the adult black dragon's breath weapon. ~Besides Drek, Koth had a brother named Haras who he feels far less strongly about and several other unnamed siblings. As far as he is aware, Koth is the only surviving member of his family. The last other palehide mentioned alive was Chieflord Karkas's unnamed son.